Water

Britt Carlson Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Use cold water to wash. 90 percent of the energy used by a washer is for heating water. Wash only when dirty. Most pants and some shirts can be worn two to three times before washing. Line dry clothes year round. A large drying …

Michael Anschel Otogawa-Anschel Design + Build If you are reading this article, you may already know the importance of considering our planet’s resources when designing our homes. Determining the most sustainable solutions is a real challenge. Should you invest in solar panels? Should you buy the carpet with the Green …

Sara Grochowski Do It Green! Minnesota What ever happened to stepping outside for a “breath of fresh air?” It is often said that the air inside a home could be more toxic than outside. However, it seems our environment is becoming contaminated, and scientists continually are finding links to the …

Jeannie Piekos Bag-E-Wash You do not have to feel guilty about using a dishwasher. Many studies have proven that dishwashers are much more cost-effective and energy-efficient than washing dishes by hand.* Maximize your dishwasher’s environmental effectiveness with these helpful tips: Run your dishwasher when it is completely full. Do not …

Angie Hong East Metro Water Resource Education Program Here in Minnesota, shoreline living is not limited to the rich and famous. According to the MN DNR, Minnesota has 11,842 lakes and 69,200 miles of natural rivers and streams. We have over 13 million acres of lakes, streams, and wetlands, which …

EarthWizards.com Most homes have driveways. We use driveways for vehicle storage and to provide access to our homes and garages from the street. We use driveway surfaces that are sturdy enough to hold the weight of automobiles, to tolerate freezing weather and summer heat, and to stand up to snow …

Dave Stack Do It Green! Magazine Rain gardens are a great way for both the do-it-yourself homeowner and the large corporation to help reduce, or nearly eliminate, rainwater runoff from their property. Reducing urban runoff improves water quality in lakes, creeks, rivers and oceans. Rain gardens, large or small, also …

John F. Neville The SEA Group Here are a few easy things you can do to cut your home energy use. Convince the entire family to follow these steps, and you may find that it doesn’t take any time or cost any money to improve your home’s energy efficiency. Electricity …

Paul Gruchow Voices for the Land Minnesota. The name says it all: the land of sky blue waters. The place where prairies, forests, rivers, lakes, and valleys create a stunning tapestry on the land. A place where legend has a foothold in Paul Bunyan and Babe, the Blue Ox. Where …

Amy Pickett and Chad Skally Skally Management Too often when we talk about living green, we focus on homeowners rather than renters. At Skally Management, a family-owned and -operated real estate management company in St. Paul, we’re changing that concept by finding innovative ways to practice Eco-Management: sustainable, responsible real …

EUREKA RECYCLING Recently there has been much discussion about the safety of drinking water. Concerns about tap water, bottled water, and reusable plastic bottles can be overwhelming. The main issue concerning plastic bottles is the leaching of the chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) which is used in the manufacturing of polycarbonate, the …